Gaming & Culture —

PlayStation 3 SDK gets YouTube API

Sony has announced that the YouTube API has been directly integrated into the …

Word of an interesting new PlayStation 3 SDK addition has surfaced. DevelopMag is reporting that Sony has added native YouTube API support to the PlayStation 3 SDK, allowing developers to leverage the popular video site with the console's software.

Access to the YouTube API will allow developers to directly integrate the ability to download and upload YouTube content from within the game. This makes the PlayStation 3 the first console to natively support YouTube on a platform-wide scale following the recent expansion of the YouTube API.

One major example of how this technology will be used is already out: EA's skate uses similar technology, though EA hosts the video files itself. The feature in skate is Flash-based, and my interest was piqued at E3 last year. I talked with a developer on-site about the complexities behind the project; he thought the community-building aspect of the software was worth the time and effort. Direct access to the YouTube API will allow this functionality to become a possibility for any game, as there will be no strain on developers to host the video files themselves. Gamers themselves will be able to make their creations viral. Imagine pulling off something insane in a game, hitting a button to save the video, and then uploading it directly to YouTube to share. Home integration could allow you to show your favorite clips on a projection screen in your virtual house.

The theater mode of Halo 3 is an incredibly popular feature, and the thought of having a more robust and flexible video service to save videos from any PlayStation 3 game is enticing. Sharing in-game media is one of the aspects of the social media revolution that consoles have been slow to adopt, but Sony could be in position to change that.

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